More than 40 firefighters tackled a blaze which severely damaged a fish and chip shop in Worthing.

Six fire crews from Worthing, Shoreham, Lancing and Findon fought the fire at Old Nicks Fish and Shop in Pavilion Road for more than an hour on Saturday morning.

The fire started in waste bins at the back of the shop and is believed to be accidental.

The fire also spread to the flat above the shop and the roofs of the two neighbouring houses.

No-one was inside the shop when the blaze broke out and residents had evacuated from the properties either side of the shop before the firefighters arrived just before 2am.

Firefighters remained at the scene throughout the night to damp down.

A full investigation into the cause of the fire will now be carried out by the West Sussex Fire Brigade.

A spokeswoman for West Sussex Fire Brigade said: "The chip shop has been severely damaged but the first floor flat and the roof was saved from serious damage by the rapid actions of the fire crews."

Nearby resident, Paul Martin, of Pavilion Road, Worthing, said: "We woke up when we heard the fire engines coming down the road. There was a lot of smoke.

"The whole place is wrecked. It is really badly damaged. I should think it will take a long time for it to be back to normal.

"We used to pop in there quite a lot for food. It's just such a shame."